Not every digital transformation or ERP implementation is successful. Despite you and your team’s best efforts, yours may be struggling too.

It is important to accept the situation for what it is. You’re not alone. Just as importantly, there are things you can do to remediate your project and get it back on track. By accepting that things could be better, you are taking an important first step to recovery.

Once you have reached the acceptance stage, here are five steps you can and should follow to get your project back on track:

1. Assess the Damage

Step one is to determine where exactly the project stands. CIOs, project managers and project teams can be overwhelmed with all the moving parts and accumulating project costs, so it is important to get an objective assessment of your project. Independent ERP consultants like Panorama can perform a project assessment, benchmark where you are versus where you should be, and provide low-hanging recommendations to get your project back on track.

2. Back Up and Focus on the People and the Process Side of Your Equation

In most cases, the assessment performed in step #1 will entail some sort of refocus of your project on organizational change management and/or business process management. Too often, projects get bogged down in the technology side of things, but the real opportunities to get your project on track reside in the people and the process side of the equation. Carving out some time to set technology aside and instead focus on more thoroughly defining business processes and addressing organizational resistance will often yield an exponential return on your investment.

SAP vs. Oracle Case Study

SAP and Oracle both invest heavily in cloud technology. However, our client was skeptical about cloud scalability and unsure if the products were mature and proven.

3. Consider Your Alternatives

Many project teams feel trapped once the project begins. In other words, they feel as though they must keep marching down the single path that they’ve started on. In reality, companies have several different “off-ramps” to get the project back on track. For example, is the original scope you had in mind appropriate for this phase of the project, given what you know now? Are there ways to make your project more manageable? Do you have the right internal and external team members? Is your system integrator the right one? Answers to these and a plethora of other questions will often lead you toward several viable alternatives that you may not have considered.

4. Examine Lower-Cost and Lower-Risk Options to Your Current Project

Like step #3, you may also want to consider other ways to accomplish your end goal – without the pain, risk and costs that you are currently experiencing. If you’ve followed step #1 properly, the answer to this question will often become obvious. For example, you may find that current tweaks to your current systems and business processes will yield similar expected business benefits without the cost and risks you are incurring now.

5. When Everything Else Fails, Pause or Cancel the Project

As much as it may pain you to admit it, perhaps it’s time to pause or cancel the project. If you don’t have the appropriate resources, budget, executive support and other critical success factors, then this may be a less painful option. And if things get particularly tough, you can also hire an ERP expert witness to help identify potential legal options that you have. No matter what, it’s important to recognize when the time is right to pull the ripcord on the project.

If your project is in trouble, these five steps will help you get your project on track. Panorama has a robust project assessment and project recovery methodology that can help you get started, so feel free to reach out to me to learn more.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More

Privacy & Cookies Policy

SAP vs. Oracle: A Case Study

Download the white paper

Deciding between SAP and Oracle is difficult. This the client needed software that would position their organization for continued growth, but internal bias put functional fit in the back seat. Ultimately, Panorama’s independence and expertise gave the client the insight necessary to make an objective decision.

Get Your Free Consultation

Get Your Free Consultation

10 Steps to Guide an ERP Software Selection

Download the guide

Now that you have decided it is time to invest in ERP Software, it is time to make a huge decision that could greatly impact your business’s success and growth. Which Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software system should you opt to use? Use this guide to your ERP software selection.

2018 Top 12 Manufacturing ERP Systems Report

Download the guide

The ERP systems featured in this report were chosen based on the strength of their manufacturing functionality as well as the amount of research and development invested in these products. We include top ERP systems for not just large companies but companies of all sizes.

2019 Top 10 Distribution ERP Systems Report

Download the guide

The ERP systems featured in this report were chosen based on the strength of their distribution functionality as well as the amount of research and development invested in these products.

Clash of the Titans 2019

Fill out the form to access the report.

SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics and Infor each provide robust ERP systems that can transform your organization. The data points in this report highlight common challenges that implementing organizations face when working with each of these ERP vendors.

SAP vs. Oracle: A Case Study

Download the white paper

Deciding between SAP and Oracle is difficult. This the client needed software that would position their organization for continued growth, but internal bias put functional fit in the back seat. Ultimately, Panorama’s independence and expertise gave the client the insight necessary to make an objective decision.

An Expert’s Guide to Organizational Change Management

Fill out the form to access the white paper.

Resistance is a natural human reaction to change. New processes and new technology can affect tremendous change to job duties and responsibilities for employees within your organization. Developing a proactive plan is essential to managing resistance to change. To receive the most benefit from new processes or technology, organizations should budget and plan for extensive resistance management.

Ten Tips for a Successful ERP Implementation

Fill out the form to access the white paper.

It is common for organizations to jump into an ERP project without first conducting the due diligence and planning required to make a successful ERP implementation. Though smooth ERP implementations are possible, every implementation entails a certain level of business and technical risk. This white paper outlines some of the most common ERP implementation challenges that organizations face as well as tips for avoiding unforeseen costs, timeline overruns and material operational disruptions.

ERP University

Please complete the form to receive custom pricing for your organization.

Deploy our experts on-site for intensive training. ERP University is the customized boot camp that comes to you.